Hardin-Simmons University reported continued enrollment growth for the 2026-2027 academic year, with gains in undergraduate enrollment, record residence hall occupancy, and increased interest in high-demand academic programs.
Fall undergraduate enrollment reached 1,264 students, up from 1,252 last year. The university also saw an increase in the number of students enrolling from the Big Country region.
On-campus housing reached a record 982 students this fall, a 9 percent increase from last year and the highest residence hall occupancy in university history. Residential occupancy has risen 27 percent since fall 2022, marking four consecutive years of growth in the number of students living on campus. Meal plan participation also increased 4 percent.
Interest in health sciences has continued to rise. Enrollment in health professions programs increased 2 percent and now accounts for about 40 percent of the university’s student population. The nursing program welcomed 58 new students in fall 2026, while total nursing enrollment grew from 111 students in fall 2025 to 150 this year.
The share of first-time freshmen enrolling in health professions programs increased from 24.5 percent to 30.9 percent of the incoming cohort. Among transfer and other incoming students, the share enrolling in business programs rose from 21.6 percent to 31.2 percent.
HSU’s 2026-2027 retention rate also increased to 69.13 percent, up from 67.10 percent last year and 64.87 percent two years ago. The university also awarded $27 million in scholarships to undergraduate students.
Looking back: Enrollment and growth
In a 2025 enrollment update, HSU President Eric Bruntmyer reported a 1 percent increase in new undergraduate enrollment, including transfer students, to 453. Graduate enrollment also rose 1 percent, reaching 379 students. Total enrollment declined slightly, from 1,665 students in the 2024-2025 academic year to 1,631 in 2025.
Enrollment increased in health professions, arts and media, and theology, while the share of first-time freshmen entering business programs rose from 17 percent to 24 percent. The retention rate increased to 67.1 percent, up from 64.9 percent in 2024. The persistence rate reached 88.5 percent, 12 percent above the national average.
Enrollment among incoming first-time freshmen from the Big Country region increased 22 percent. On-campus housing grew in 2024 to 902 students, up from 868 the previous year, while meal plan participation increased to 757 students from 746.
Sign up for our weekly edition and get all our headlines in your inbox on Thursdays
During the 2022-2023 academic year, HSU recorded a total enrollment of 1,765 students and 795 on-campus students. Out of 428 new students, 13 percent ranked in the top 10 percent of their high school graduating classes. The university’s Hispanic student population also increased from 22 percent to 24 percent, putting HSU within 1 percentage point of the threshold for the Hispanic-Serving Institution designation.
We seek to connect God’s story and God’s people around the world. To learn more about God’s story, click here.
Send comments and feedback to Eric Black, our editor. For comments to be published, please specify “letter to the editor.” Maximum length for publication is 300 words.